Best Jerusalem Old City Sites
Just inside Jaffa Gate, the Tower of David Museum walks you through 4000 years of ancient Jerusalem Old City history and there’s a great view of the city from the tower. Admission includes a guided tour (available in English, French, Russian, German, Arabic and Hebrew). Hours: Sun- Thur 10:00 – 16:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00 Admission: 30 NIS adults; 15 NIS children To the left of the Western Wall. Tour the tunnels along the foundations of the First and Second Temples. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has just opened the Generations Center in the tunnels, a sound and light show based around glass sculptures that tell the story of Jerusalem. Reservations required: Call 1-599-515-888 (in Israel) or 972-2-627-1333 (from outside Israel). Hours: Sun-Thu: 08:00-20:00 Admission: 20 NIS adults; 10 NIS children/students/seniors: 10 NIS
To the right of the Western Wall Plaza are the archaeological excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount. You can visit on your own, or make arrangements for a guided tour in English if you call ahead. Tel: 627-7550 Hours: Sun-Thu: 08:00-17:00 Fri: 08:00-14:00 Admission: 30 NIS adults; 16 NIS children/seniors/students 4. The Burnt House 2 Tiferet Israel St, in the Jewish Quarter
Visit the remains of a priestly home that was destroyed when Jerusalem fell in the year 70 CE. The sound and light show makes the fall of Jerusalem chillingly real. Hours: Sun-Thu: 09:00-17:00 Fri: 09:00-13:00 Admission: 25 NIS adults; 12 NIS children 5. The Yad Ben Zvi Ariel Center for Jerusalem in the First Temple Period Corner of Bonei Hahoma and Plugat Hakotel streets. This is a very kid-friendly museum. The center has a model of Jerusalem in the first-temple period, interactive activities for kids that focus on ancient life, and a very clever audiovisual show. Hours: Sun-Thu: 09:00-16:00 Admission: 18 NIS adults; 14 NIS children 6. The Wohl Museum of Archaeology 1 Hakarim St.
This was a priestly home during the days of the Second Temple. Behind the modern facade, you can see ritual baths, frescoes and get an idea of what daily life was like. Hours: Sun-Thu: 09:00-17:00 Fri: 09:00-13:00 Admission: 15 NIS adults; 7 NIS children 7. The Temple Institute 19 Misgav Ladakh St.
The museum houses reproductions of the implements used in the service of the Temple and of priestly vestments. There is also a model of what the Temple looked like. Hours: Sun-Thu: 09:00-17:00 Fri: 09:00-12:00 Admission: 20 NIS adults; 15 NIS children 8. The Rampart Walk
If you enter the old city through Jaffa Gate, you can do a self-guided walk on the ramparts of the old city. There are informational plaques in English every several hundred feet to give you an idea of what you are seeing. The views of both the old city and the city outside the walls are magnificent. One path goes from Jaffa Gate to Lions Gate and the other from Jaffa Gate to Dung Gate. Hours: Sun-Sat: 09:00-16:00; Fri and holiday eves (the path to Lions Gate may be closed): 09:00-14:00 Admission: 16 NIS adults; 8 NIS children/students/ seniors: 8 NIS 9. The Cardo Start in the Jewish Quarter.
What we now call the Jerusalem Old City was the thriving metropolis Aelia Capitolina during the Roman and Byzantine period. The Cardo was the commercial center of that ancient city. Ancient columns and shops are visible. The roofed part, reconstructed in Crusader times, now houses boutiques and archaeological sites side-by-side. The Cardo leads to the Arab shuk. 10. Alone on the Wall In the Cardo For a change of pace, step out of ancient history into the modern era. This permanent photo exhibit documents the last days of the Jewish Quarter before the Jerusalem Old City fell at the hands of the Jordanians in 1948. Hours: Sun-Thur: 10:00-15:00; Fri and holiday eves: 9:00-13:00. Admission: Free Our bonus suggestions continue your journey back in time, to a period when the biblical town lay outside the Jerusalem Old City walls we see today. 11. The City of David and Hezekiah’s Tunnels Just outside the Old City. Go out Dung Gate and turn left. Make a right on Maalot Ir David Street. At the City of David, you can go down Warren’s Shaft and wade through Hezekiah’s Tunnels. The tunnel ends up in the Shiloah Pool. This is a great activity to do with older kids and teenagers. Hours: Sun-Thu: 08:00-17:00 Fri: 08:00-13:00 Admission: 23 NIS adults; 12 NIS children/seniors TIP: Make sure to bring
the appropriate gear. 12. Hiking Outside the Walls For a fascinating hike through ancient Jerusalem history, take
the Jerusalem Trail mp3 tour
(4-6 hours) which takes you around the outside walls of the old city, the Ben-Hinnom Valley, the pool of Siloam, the City of David, Absalom’s tomb, the Kidron Valley, and on to Mt. Scopus.
This is more of an arduous hike than the previous mp3 tours, so come prepared with sun hats and lots of water. Return from Best Jerusalem Old City Sites to the Old City. Return from Best Jerusalem Old City Sites to The One-Day Tour. Return to Home page.
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